15 year old DD1

[ClarabelleRose]

I’m so hoping someone will be able to help, please. My 15yo DD1 started her periods when she was 12 and ever since then her health has been a nightmare. She started with awful headaches/migraines and couldn’t function for several days (sometimes weeks) at a time. She had MRIs, scans, blood tests, non of which revealed anything sinister. At 12 she was prescribed Pizotifen, which she still takes on a daily basis.

This has helped a little, although more recently she’s been getting more headaches so we’re going to see if the dosage can be increased. Although her headaches did improve, her general health didn’t. For the week or so before her period she’s really poorly. It’s clearly not put on - she’s deathly pale, with dark circles under her eyes, she’s nauseous and often vomits, she’s exhausted, she gets extreme leg pains & stomach cramps. Then generally she’s ok for a few days, until her period starts and she’s really poorly again. Her periods are heavy and can last 10 days or so. The same exhaustion and nausea come back, as do the cramps and leg pains. She was on the mini pill and has since had the contraceptive implant fitted. Neither has helped particularly. She has medication for nausea & heavy bleeding, neither of which are particularly helpful.

She was under a paediatrician, who signed her off last year. I’ve paid for her to see a gynaecologist privately, who suggested she takes antidepressants (she’s not depressed!).

She’s booked to see her GP tomorrow and I’m just wondering where we go from here? Does anyone have any experience of this? Has anyone found anything to help. Her school (private so not the usual LA attendance demands) has been mostly supportive. But they’re concerned as she’s missing so much school and it is starting to affect her grades. She’s a bright girl, but because she’s always playing catch-up, she’s just not going to be able to achieve her full potential.

DD1 is just lovely. She’s funny, engaged, sweet. I just want her to be fit and well and able to live a full(er) life.

If she has heavy periods she’s likely quite low in iron.
Drs will say ferritin is normal as low as 15 (depending on the labs reference range) but below 70 doesn’t support hair growth, never mind energy.
Obviously that doesn’t answer why she is so I’ll before her period but could be contributors her feeling dreadful. Try and get print outs of blood test results so you can see her levels and the labs reference ranges. Being at the bottom end of normal is very different from being optimal/at the higher end of normal.

I wonder if they might consider checking if it’s endometriosis. That can cause nausea, pain, fatigue, heavy bleeding, feeling generally unwell. It takes years sometimes before this is even considered being looked in to, I suppose because they diagnose via laparoscopic surgery.

I hope you are able to find some answers and some treatment for her. It sounds miserable.

GP should refer her to a gynaecologist but as waiting lists for such are miles long, you may want to again consider she seeing a gynaecologist as a private patient. So sorry to read that a previous gynae only suggested anti depressants and I hope you complained to the hospital concerned. My initial thought also was endometriosis when reading your post.

i also found that the likes of tranexamic acid and mefenemic acid tablets were ineffective for those symptoms. I would also suggest she keeps a daily pain and symptom diary noting everything in the event she is not already keeping such. You will need to be persistent in order to get answers.

Thank you both so much for taking the time to comment.

Her GP was fab this morning. She’s upped her dose of Pizotifen so hopefully that’ll help with her headaches. She’s getting some blood tests done to rule out anemia, etc (she does take a B12 supplement) and has referred her to a gynaecologist. She’s also suggested a therapist. She agreed with me that she’s not depressed but said how her debilitating symptoms could have an adverse psychological affect on her and this in turn could make her feel more unwell. That’s my area, so rather than going via the school counsellor (who she’s seen before but didn’t find that helpful) it’s now my mission to find someone whose niche is women’s health and who can work with teens. Endometriosis as a possible diagnosis is definitely on my radar.

Thanks again.